Pneumatic cotton-handling apparatus.



No. 636,670. Patented Nov. 7, I899. D. E. JONES.

PNEUMATIC COTTON HANDLING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1899.) (No Model.)

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DUDLEY E. JONES, OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

PNEUMATIC COTTON-HANDLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,670, dated November7, 1899.

/ Application filed February 2, 1899. erial No. 704,279. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DUDLEY E. JONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cotton-Handling Apparatus, of Which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1represents a diagram of one form of an apparatus embodying my invention,and Figs. 2 and 3 detail views showing slight modifications.

This invention has reference to that Wellknown class of apparatus forhandling seedcotton pneumaticallyin which means are provided for takingthe seed-cotton from a vehicle or other receptacle located outside ofthe gin-house or from a distant part of the ginhouse and transportingand automatically delivering it to the gins therein, the dust andforeign matter being usually screened from the cotton and driven out ofthe gin-house and means being also provided for depositing thecotton-seed into the dust-flue beyond the fan, so that the same will bedriven out with the dust to asuitable house or room adjacent thegin-house.

The special object of the present invention is to provide simple meanswhereby cottonseed may be driven to a much greater distance than hasheretofore been possible except by the use of an additional fan; and tothis end the invention consists, broadly stated, of a main conduit andmeans for receiving and delivering the cotton therefrom to the gin, afan or blower having its intakeopening of greater area than said conduitand connected thereto, means for supplying a supplemental current of airto the intakeopening during the movement of cotton through the mainconduit, a dust-flue leading from the fan to a suitable point ofdeposit, and means for introducing seed into said due, as more fullyhereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, or represents a gin; b, the cotton-receiving box,provided with suitable devices to deliver the cotton into the gin; c, amain conduit for conveying the cotton to the box 19, one end 0 beingextended to the exterior of the gin-house in the usual manner and theother end being connected to the intake-opening of a fan d; e, thedust-flue, extending from the fan to a suitable point of deposit, and ga device adapted to receive the cotton-seed from the gin and deliver itinto the dust-flue at a point near the fan. The foregoing devices are incommon use and a full description of their operation is not necessary,it being understood that the fan sucks up the cotton and delivers it tothe gin through box 19 and blows the dust out through the conduit e, asuitable valve being provided at h at a point between the fan and thecotton-box b torelieve the vacuum created by the fan whenever it isdesired to permit the cotton accumulated in the box I) to fall into thegin.

By the arrangement describednamely, where the fan that elevates thecotton is employed to blow the seedit has heretofore been impossible toblow the seed to a very great distance, thereby necessitating anadditional fan or the adoption of other means for conveying it where theseed-house or other receptacle is located 'at too great a distance fromthe gin-house to enable the dust-fiue'to be utilized as a conveyer. As apartial remedy in some instances larger fans have been employed than wasnecessary to simply ele- Vate the cotton, it being not uncommon toemploy a fan with a thirteen -inch intakeopening connected to anine-inch conduit; but this expedient has proven of little value, as thepower to drive the seed has been increased but little thereby.

My invention consists in the discovery that where an enlarged fan isused the reason of the failure is that the fan rotates in-a partialvacuum (sufficient air not being obtainable through the cotton-conduitto enable its full power to be utilized) and the provision of meanswhereby a supplemental or auxiliary current of air is supplied to thefan during the movement of the cotton through the main conduit,preferably near the fan-casing, this current supplying the fan with theair necessary to permit it to exert its full power, thereby enabling theseed and dust to be blown at great speed practically to anydesireddistance.

In the drawings the main conduit isenlarged atirl to connect up the mainportion of the conduit to the intake-opening of the fan, said enlargedpart terminating short of the cut-off h and being provided with anopening j, this opening being open at all times irrespective of theposition of the cut-off valve 7t. This opening is of an area less thanthe difference between the area of the main cotton-conduit c and thearea of the intakeopening of the fan, its size being determined not onlyby said differencein area, but also by the distance the seed is to beblown, dzc. It willtherefore be observed that the essential feature ofthe invention lies in employing a fan having an intakeopening largerthan the main conduit and in supplyinga continuous current of air to theintake-opening at a suitable point between the fan and the means forreceiving and delivering the cotton to the gin, whereby the fan will besupplied its full or nearly its full complement of air and will exertits full power. Where a cut-off 01' valve, as at 71,, is employed, as isthe casein many elevators, the supplemental current will enter at apoint between said cut off and the fan, although I see no reason why thesupplemental current cannot be introduced at a point beyond the valve orcutoff if the enlargement of the conduit be carried beyond said valve orcut-01f.

It will be understood that my invention is applicable to all styles ofcotton-ele'vato'rs,an d it will also be understood that I do not wish toconfine myself to any particular form of enlargementt', itbeing showntapering in Fig. 1 and rectangular in Fig. 2. It will also be understoodthat a suitable valve or valves may be applied to the opening oropenings j to regulate the area of the same or to close the openingsentirely, as the exigencies of the case may require; nor am I limited asto the area of the opening or openings j, although I have found inpractice that such area should never exceed the difference in areabetween the diameter of the cotton-conduit and the intake-opening of thefan. Furthermore, it will be observed that even the enlargement of theconduit may be done away with and the openingsj be made in thefan-casing close to the point where the main conduit connects to thesame or in a flat reducing-collar fitted around the intake-opening andcentering the main conduit in the intake-opening, as shown in Fig. 3,these openings being regulated by means of a suitable ring slide orvalve 70, adjustably attached to the reducing-collar or to thefan-casing. It is possible also that the supplemental volume ofair maybe introduced into the fan-casing at a point other than the usualcentral intake-opening at one side of the fan-casing. Therefore whereverI use the term intake-opening I desire it understood that it comprehendsany opening in the conduit or fan-casing through which air is drawn bythe fan.

In practical tests I have discovered that by my invention the seed canbe blown with great force to at least double the distance that waspossible with apparatus using simply an enlarged fan.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

L In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mainconduit and means for receiving and delivering the cotton to the gin, afan or blower having its intake-opening of greater area than the conduitand connected thereto, means for supplying a supplemental current of airto the intake-opening during the movement of cotton through the mainconduit, a dust-flue leading from the fan to a suitable point ofdeposit, and means for introducing seed into this dust-flue.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mainconduit andmeans for receiving and delivering the cotton to the gin, afan or blower having its intakeopening of greater area than the conduitand connected thereto, means for supplying asupplemental current of airto the intake-opening during the movement of cotton through the mainconduit, means for varying the area of the supplemental current of air,a dustfine leading from the fan to a suitable point of deposit, andmeans for introducing seed into this dust-flue.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a maincotton-conduit and means for receiving and delivering the elevatedcotton, a blower having its enlarged intake-opening connected to saidconduit, a cut-off or valve in the conduit between the fan andthereceiving means, the conduit being enlarged where it connects to theintakeopening of the fan, an opening being formed in this enlargedportion to supply the fan with a supplemental current of air during themovement of the cotton, a seed-driving flue connected to the fan andmeans for introducing cotton-seed into this flue.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a mainconduit, and means for delivering the cotton therefrom, a fan fordrawing the cotton through said conduit to the point of delivery, saidfan being of larger capacity than said conduit at its intake end, meansfor supplying a supplemental volume of air to the fan during themovement of the cotton, a dustflue leading from the fan, whereby moreair is forced through the dustfiue than is drawn in with the cotton andthrough the cotton-conduit, and means for delivering cotton-seed intosaid dust-fine.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afnx my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 27th day of 'January, 1899.

DUDLEY E. JONES.

YVitnesses:

P. v. OLssoN, ARTHUR O. JONES.

